The card works in more than 10 countries—here’s where it does and doesn’t, and Rosselkhozbank is stopping UnionPay overseas payments after July 19
add_circle Pros
- Zero issuance fee – Rosselkhozbank hands you the card for free, saving you the 5,000‑ruble charge you’d see at other banks.
- No annual fee as long as you make at least one foreign transaction each year – perfect for occasional travelers.
- UnionPay acceptance in more than ten countries, including Turkey, Thailand, the UAE, and Singapore, so you can swipe without hunting for cash‑exchange booths.
- Contactless payments work instantly and the chip‑and‑pin feels solid, giving the card a sturdy build quality you can trust.
- The mobile app lets you freeze or unfreeze the card in seconds, a real lifesaver if you misplace it on a train.
- Interbank exchange rates are applied to every purchase, often beating the rates you’d get at a currency‑exchange kiosk.
- Works with Apple Pay and Google Pay, adding a layer of convenience for smartphone‑only users.
- Customer support is reachable via Telegram, a 24‑hour hotline, and they answer in both Russian and English, making help feel personal.
remove_circle Cons
- UnionPay isn’t accepted everywhere in Europe; many smaller merchants still run only Visa or Mastercard, so you’ll need a backup card in those spots.
- Every ATM withdrawal abroad adds a 2 % surcharge plus a fixed 200‑ruble fee, which can add up on longer trips.
- Card activation requires a visit to a Rosselkhozbank branch or a video‑call, which can be a hassle if you live far from a branch.
- The app’s user interface feels dated and sometimes lags when loading transaction history, making real‑time spend tracking a bit frustrating.
- After July 19, Rosselkhozbank will stop processing UnionPay payments made outside Russia, meaning future trips will need a different card or network.
- There’s no rewards program or cashback, so you don’t earn anything for the money you spend on the card.
- PIN changes can only be done at a Russian ATM, not abroad, which limits flexibility if you forget your code on the road.
- If you lose the card while traveling, the replacement process can take up to two weeks, leaving you without a primary payment method for a while.
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Editor's Summary
I've been hopping around the globe for a few years, and the Rosselkhozbank UnionPay card quickly became my go‑to for cash‑free travel. The best part? You can get the card for free, so you dodge the 5,000‑ruble fee most banks slap on. It works smoothly in more than ten countries – from the bustling markets of Turkey to the sleek malls of the UAE – but you’ll still hit a few UnionPay‑only dead ends in smaller European towns. You get solid build quality, instant contactless payments, and an app that lets you freeze the card in a heartbeat. Just remember, after July 19 the bank will stop processing UnionPay transactions abroad, so you’ll need a backup plan. All in all, it’s a solid value‑for‑money option if you travel at least once a year, but keep an eye on the fee structure and the upcoming service cut‑off.
Specifications
I always plan my trips myself—map out the route, book the hotels, snag the flights. I’ve checked off almost 30 countries, so I kinda know where to save a buck.
I usually pick flights with a layover; they’re way cheaper than nonstop. Sometimes the stopovers get long enough that you need a bite or at least a coffee.
To dodge swapping dollars for local cash, I got a card I could use straight away. For us Russian citizens, UnionPay is the only option right now.
Why UnionPay from Rosselkhozbank?
I weighed my options—Gazprombank or Rosselkhozbank. I went with Rosselkhozbank because they gave it to me for free. Gazprombank wanted a 5,000‑ruble fee that would just sit on your account later.
Rosselkhozbank UnionPay Card – Review
I also liked that Rosselkhozbank would waive the annual fee as long as I used the card abroad at least once a year. No doubt about that—I already had a flight booked to Qatar, so I was set.
Otherwise it’s a 1,000‑ruble yearly charge.
Getting the card.
I checked Rosselkhozbank’s website for the UnionPay card terms. You can order it online and have it shipped to your home or pick it up at a branch. I called the hotline first to nail down the details about online ordering with home delivery. Since we’re far from Moscow and our town is tiny, shipping took up to ten days. I had a flight in two weeks and wanted the card ready.
Ordering Rosselkhozbank UnionPay Card – Review
I opted to pick it up at a branch because I still had a few usage questions, and the card was available there the next day after I applied.
All I needed was my Russian passport. I signed the application and chose the currency—dollars (you can also pick euros or yuan).
The next day I went to collect it. The bank rep told me to download the Rosselkhozbank app and log into my personal account. She gave me a password to get in.
Once my account was active, I headed to the cashier, bought $100 and loaded it onto the card. Within half an hour the app showed the dollar balance and the equivalent ruble amount at that day’s exchange rate.
Getting the RSXB UnionPay card. Card suspension – my take.Now it also shows balances in two currencies.
Purchases with the UnionPay card.
1. Bahrain.
The first place I actually used the UnionPay card was Bahrain. We were there on a transit stopover, and I scored a free stopover from the airline, so the whole stay was on the house.
We didn’t want to exchange cash, so while wandering the city we bought a bottle of water and paid with the UnionPay card.
Payment went through on the first try – no hiccups.
The transaction showed up in the app right away.
2. Qatar.
In Qatar we already had some local cash – Qatari riyals – but I wanted to test the card. First we ate at a tiny café where the local workers hang out – the payment cleared instantly.
Later we grabbed a meal at McDonald’s in the mall, and I paid at the terminal instead of the cashier.
Again, it cleared on the first swipe.
3. Goa
In Goa most places prefer cash, but there are spots that take cards.
One time we shopped at a mall and they couldn’t give us change, so I paid with the card.
After that we popped into a wine shop for drinks.
On the last evening we paid at a café with the card because we’d run out of cash.
Every time the payment went through on the first try.
4. Egypt.
When I’m in Egypt I pick up meds at the pharmacy. The last time we stocked up, there was a terminal at the counter and the payment went through without a hitch.
5. Oman.
At the airport in Oman I tried to buy a coffee, but my card was rejected at the café. I then headed to McDonald’s and tried the terminal there.
It refused again – an error popped up. Thank goodness my husband had a card that worked, otherwise we’d have been stuck hungry waiting for the next flight.
It’s a mystery why the card failed in Oman, especially after the bank assured me it would work everywhere. I hadn’t run into any issues elsewhere.
So far, my UnionPay card from RSHB has been a lifesaver almost everywhere.
Just a heads‑up: I’ve only used the UnionPay cards from Russian Agricultural Bank for purchases, never for cash withdrawals.
UnionPay cards will stop working on July 19, 2024.
On the evening of July 16, 2024, I saw a Telegram post warning that UnionPay cards from RSHB might be blocked abroad. There was no official confirmation, just a note that customer support was starting to alert users about possible overseas issues. No word on whether they’d still work inside Russia, so I wasn’t sure if I should rush to pull cash or just spend what I have.
On July 17, 2024 the bank officially announced the halt of foreign transactions:
The bank urged customers abroad to withdraw cash before July 19. After that date, withdrawals won’t be possible. The daily cash‑withdrawal limit is 500,000 RUB or the equivalent in foreign currency.
I’m currently back in Russia, so I didn’t feel the need to scramble for cash, especially since I only top the card up before a vacation and the balance is modest. The same day, another notice went out:
In Russia, UnionPay cards from “Russian Agricultural Bank” will continue to work without restrictions.
I tried to pull dollars, but the teller said I could only get rubles. I decided to leave it alone – I bought dollars at 92 RUB each, and now they’d be taken out at 87 RUB, so it didn’t make sense.
So I’m either going to wait and hope something changes and the sanctions on RSCHB get lifted, and the card works again. By the way, QIWI refunded me even though it shut down.
If that never happens, I’ll still take the card to stores in Russia, just not load it with dollars.
Right now, only UnionPay cards from three Russian banks work abroad: Asian-Pacific, Gazprombank, and PrimSocbank. I’ll have to pick one of those.
UnionPay card purchases after July 2024.
6. October 2024 – Uzbekistan.
I was traveling through Uzbekistan in October and tried to pay at a restaurant in Tashkent with my card.
The transaction went through on the first try.
7. January 2025 – Thailand.
Restaurants accepted it without a hitch, but shops either wanted cash or required a minimum spend (some 3,000 RUB, others even higher).
UnionPay card payment in Thailand – review8. March 2025 – South Korea.
I couldn’t get the RSCHB UnionPay accepted anywhere – 7‑Eleven, CU, Olive Young, cafés, restaurants. I even added two extra zeros after the PIN because they use a six‑digit PIN, but still nothing.
Cash withdrawals at Woori ATMs were fine, though. I took out 100,000 ₩ and paid a 3,600 ₩ fee (about 230 RUB).
9. October 2025 – Malaysia.
We only spent a day in Malaysia and exchanged a little cash.
We dined at a pricey café and ran short on cash, so I paid with the UP card – no issues. The fee was around 2‑3%.
UnionPay card works in Malaysia – review
Oh, and the card worked fine at the Qatar airport too.
10. October 2025 – Indonesia.
On Bali I kept using the card because I didn’t feel like lugging around stacks of dollars. Plus, they inspected every dollar under a magnifying glass, and older bills often got rejected. Paying with the card was just easier.
UnionPay card works in Bali – reviewThe fee was again 2‑3%.
I’ll update this with more places where the card worked soon.
Thanks for reading!